


the gifts of a cat

by yoonminoml (fanficloverme96)



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Azure Moon ending, Canon Compliant, Courting Rituals, M!Byleth - Freeform, M/M, Post-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:08:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23156074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanficloverme96/pseuds/yoonminoml
Summary: Yuri isn't sure what to make of the decapitated heads of beasts someone keeps on leaving at his door.
Relationships: Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc & My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 71





	the gifts of a cat

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on this [tweet](https://twitter.com/muulelle/status/1238596748169351169) and my mind just goes "Need to write this now." Credits for the original idea belong to @leclerceisner on Twitter!
> 
> Set in the Azure Moon route.

Yuri opened the door to his room to be greeted by the sight of a decapitated giant wolf’s head.

It’s the third time this week. He’s sensing a pattern here.

“Geez, Yuri-bird, did you piss off someone again?” Hapi asked later that morning in the dining hall, her mouth full of food.

“Hapi, you table manners are atrocious!” Constance hissed beside her, looking at her in disdain. 

“Coco, we’re at war. I don’t think table manners are important right now.”

“I pissed off a lot of people, Hapi,” Yuri pointed out, picking at his own food, “You’re going to have to be more specific with your question. Though, it’s the first time any of them left me such...interesting gifts.”

The dining hall is filled with more people than usual. Children and nuns Yuri had never seen before now wandered around the monastery, their expressions usually a strange but understandable mix of gratitude and mistrust. Gratitude for a new place to stay, mistrust towards the people they don’t know.

After the messy battle at Gronder, more people have lost their loved ones, and sometimes, in turn, their homes. The monastery provided the shelter and resources they needed, but Yuri understood that it also represented something unpleasant to a lot of the refugees - bitter memories of the destruction that led to them losing everything they hold dear.

If it weren’t for Byleth’s invitation (or insistence), Yuri wouldn’t have left the Abyss, just so he could avoid looking at their faces.

Speaking of Byleth -

“Oh, Chatterbox is here.” Hapi lifted her hand to wave at the professor. Byleth was not alone as he approached the table with his share of food. Balthus had his arm wrapped around Byleth’s shoulder, laughing boisterously at some joke he probably told him. 

“Right? And then I said - Oh, you guys are here too!” said Balthus. 

“Keep your voice down, Balthus,” Constance scolded, “You’ll shake the entire building if you keep it up. And yes, the professor invited us for a meal. Though we didn’t expect him to show up late. Did you hold him up?”

“Hey now, we met on the way! And I just told him this great joke that I -,”

“Yes, yes, I’m sure it’s a funny joke,” Yuri interrupted, “Maybe you’ll let the poor professor sit first?”

“Ah, right. Sorry, pal.”

“It’s not a problem,” Byleth responded in his usual quiet way. He slid in next to Yuri, giving him a small smile. “Good morning, Yuri.”

Yuri returned the smile with his own. “Good morning, friend.”

“Thanks for inviting us for a meal, Chatterbox,” Hapi said, “Though I kinda ate before you…”

“It’s fine.” 

The Ashen Wolves eyed the usual...generous helpings on Byleth’s plate, choosing not to comment anything. Their professor’s large appetite had now become something like a famous tale circulating around the monastery and it’s not unusual to see people sneaking a peek to see if the rumors were true. Byleth could eat food enough to feed a whole crew and would still ask for seconds.

Well, to be fair, he did a lot of fighting when it came to the war. If anyone needed food, it would be him.

“By the way, professor,” Constance said, “Yuri was telling us a rather interesting story before you arrived. You should listen to it.”

“Gee, you sure cut to the chase, don’t you, Constance?” Yuri replied wryly. When Byleth turned to him curiously, Yuri sighed in defeat. “I guess with all that’s going on, I suppose you could use something to laugh about.” His shoulders slumped as he shook his head. “Someone’s been leaving me gifts.”

Byleth blinked once.

“What sort of gift?” he asked.

“Decapitated heads,” Hapi interjected, “Specifically beasts.”

“Yikes. It’s still happening?” Balthus asked in sympathy.

“Unfortunately, yes. I don’t know why they keep on doing it, whoever it was. What’s even stranger is that no one caught them. Considering there are not many places to hide in the Abyss these days with more people coming in and my room is fairly out in the open. Whoever it is, I must commend their stealth skills.”

“Do you...find these gifts a nuisance?” Byleth asked carefully.

Yuri looked at him in surprise, not expecting the question.

“Rather than a nuisance, I find them perplexing. I’m not sure what they’re for. I mean, if it’s meant to threaten me, then surely sending human corpses would do a better job - not that I’m encouraging that sort of thing. Killing beasts is just doing everyone a favor.”

Hapi stabbed her fork onto the meat. “If you ask me, I find it kinda funny.”

“You find a lot of things funny,” Yuri pointed out dryly.

“True, but hear me out,” Hapi insisted, “I just think this whole thing reminded me of a cat, that’s all.”

“...A cat?” Yuri repeated.

“Y’know, a four-legged animal, with fur and pointy ears -,”

“I know what a cat is,” Yuri said testily. Beside him, Byleth suppressed a smile by biting down onto his piece of chicken.

“Right, good. I was getting worried for a sec there, Yuri-bird. But anyway, yes. Cats do that sort of stuff, ya know? Leave prey to their humans if they love and trust them.”

Constance wrinkled her nose. “Whatever for?”

Hapi shrugged. “Cats feel like they should teach their humans to hunt. Or they’re bringing it as gifts to show that they can provide for them.”

“Heh. A show of strength, but for a cat,” Balthus smirked.

Yuri stared at his friends, processing the words. “So you’re suggesting that… whoever sent me these beast heads are trying...to impress me?”

“Hey, weirder things can happen,” Hapi said, “Right, Chatterbox?”

Byleth replied with a slow blink and a nod of his head. Yuri repressed a smile. How cute.

“Huh.” Yuri considered it. “You’re right. There are weirder things.”

Yuri slipped away from all the celebrations that followed after the successful battle against Cornelia. The Kingdom is reclaimed and Dimitri returned to his people. Another huge hurdle had been surpassed and the residents of the monastery celebrated it the only way they can - by throwing a huge feast.

It’s strange to finally have the Abyss underground this quiet. It’s not as loud as the surface, but with the increasing number of residents, it was still bustling with activity. With most, if not all, of the residents now gathered on the surface to party, it’s practically deserted. Yuri enjoyed this silence. 

He overestimated his social skills, it would seem.

He nodded at the hooded old man who stood at his usual spot by the stalls, who merely flashed him a genial look in return. He slipped into one of the many tunnels of the Abyss, taking his usual way towards his room - his own separate quarter, granted to him when they discovered a spare room in one of the tunnels - and just as he could see his door, his footsteps ceased.

“Oh, _come on_!” he cried exasperatedly.

The Influencer was flipping through his book when Yuri came running up to him, breathing hard from the exertion.

“Did anyone come by before me?” he asked urgently, “And if yes, did they go towards that direction?” He pointed towards the tunnel he took.

“You’re the first one who returned,” the old man replied calmly, “The rest are still above ground, are they not?”

“Are you sure?” Yuri pressed.

“Yes. My, my. Lord Yuri, is something troubling you?”

“Very much, yes.” Yuri lifted his hand. “This, specifically.”

In his hand was the decapitated head of a giant bird.

“This wasn’t here when I left the Abyss. If no one’s here before me, how did this get here?”

The Influencer looked unperturbed by the grotesque-looking head in Yuri’s hand. “If someone did come in here, they must have done it when I was momentarily distracted, though you know as well as I do that distraction is never a problem for a person like me. The only exception to that is -,” He paused. “Ah, I see.”

Yuri narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“If the person is who I think it is, then Lord Yuri has no cause for worry.” The Influencer eyed the beast head. “Aside from this...peculiar gift, did anything else happen to you?”

“...No.”

The old man smiled. “Then you don’t need to worry. In fact, I think you might even be pleased if you know the possible reason behind the beast heads you’ve been receiving. Or at the very least, amused.”

Yuri looked intrigued now. “What do you think it may be?”

The smile on the Influencer’s face widened.

“Someone is trying to court you, Lord Yuri.”

“Yuri?”

“Hm, oh, it’s you, friend.” Yuri looked up from the map he was studying. “Are we leaving?”

Byleth nodded. “The rest are already prepared. We were looking for you.”

“Sorry, friend. I got distracted. I packed everything I needed already, though.” Yuri paused. “Hey, I can smell flowers on you. Were you in the greenhouse before this?”

Byleth shook his head. “I visited the cemetery. To see father and mother.”

Yuri gave him a look of understanding. “I see. Well, we’re gonna face a powerful enemy after this, after all. Makes sense you’d want to see them before we leave.” He rolled back the map and placed it where he found it before he turned to Byleth. “Let’s go.”

“Mm.”

“Say, Byleth,” Yuri said nonchalantly as they walked side by side, “Humor me on a question, would you?”

Byleth looked at him curiously.

“When the war is over...do you have any plans for the future?” Yuri asked, “And yes, I said ‘when’, and I’m fully expecting you to come out alive from all of this. If there is anyone who would survive this war, it’s you.” He paused. “Anyway, enough of my rambling. What do you plan to do after the war?”

“My plans…”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of at least one?” Yuri asked incredulously, “Or is it a mercenary thing to just go with the flow? Ah, who am I kidding? Of course it is.”

“What about you, Yuri?” Byleth asked, “Do you have any plans after the war?”

“Hm. That would entail me surviving - I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Yuri quickly added when Byleth gave him a look of disapproval. “I won’t go down that easily, you know that.”

Byleth still stared at him, as if to make sure he’s telling the truth.

“Hey, friend. Don’t worry that pretty head of yours,” said Yuri, giving him a look of reassurance, “I’ll try my hardest to stay alive in the final battle. I’ve made it this far, haven’t I? It’d be a shame to go down now.”

Byleth let out a breath. “Alright.”

“Besides, it’d be a shame if I die,” Yuri continued, “That plan after the war won’t come to fruition if I did.”

“What do you mean?”

“My plan, well...I was hoping I could spend it with the person I like. Maybe take them to meet my mother.”

Byleth stopped his steps. “Person...you like?”

Yuri grinned. “Yes. Person I like. I can’t tell you who it is, though. It’s a secret.”

Byleth looked as if he wanted to pout. Yuri could kill a man to see that expression on his face. 

Maybe.

“Why? Are you jealous, friend?” he teased.

Byleth looked away. “No.”

“Heh… well, if you say so. It’d be cute if you are, though.” They started walking again. “You don’t have anyone you like, friend? A girl who caught your eye, perhaps? Or even a charming soldier from the front lines who stole your breath away?”

“...Yes.”

Yuri’s eyes widened. He didn’t expect Byleth to be honest.

“Ho? Is that so? What’s that person like? Is it someone I know?”

Byleth granted him a small smile. “It’s a secret.”

“Heh. Touche.” Yuri held up his hands in defeat. “I deserve that. But still, to steal the heart of the Ashen Demon himself, this person must be really charming.”

“Mm. You’re right. Very charming.”

They didn’t say anything else after that, though Yuri’s mind was a bit preoccupied to really say anything. The Influencer’s words to him a few days ago still rung in his ears. He wondered if he should come clean to Byleth.

About the head of a giant wolf placed at his doorstep this morning, along with a single gardenia.

Secret love.

Everything was over. Edelgard was defeated. Dimitri was crowned King. The war finally came to an end. 

At the Goddess Tower, where no one could see them, Yuri held Byleth close, feeling the rise and fall of his chest. He heard no heartbeat - but Byleth was warm and safe in his arms and that was all that mattered.

Byleth.

The man who just heard Yuri bare his soul to him and accepted his marriage proposal. The man who now knew his real name.

Byleth, the one he loved.

“I’m the one you liked all this time, huh?” Byleth asked. Yuri could hear the amusement in his voice.

“Don’t be cheeky with me. I’m the one you secretly liked too, aren’t I?” Yuri winked at him. “Enough for you to send me monsters' heads for days on end. Not really a romantic way to court someone, but effective nevertheless.”

The shocked look Byleth gave him was worth saying those words.

“How did you -,”

“The old man guessed it. No one can slip past him in the Abyss. No one,” Yuri smiled knowingly, “Except for you. He also told me that it’s apparently a custom for certain mercenaries to gift the person they liked with their killings, to show them their strength and their ability to protect that person. Like a cat.”

“Am I a cat?” Byleth asked.

“I don’t know. Are you? Perhaps you should be renamed as the Ashen Cat, instead,” Yuri said playfully. “I heard Jeralt gave Sitri a lot of flowers when he was courting her. You could have done that instead, you know.”

“I gave you flowers.”

“One,” Yuri corrected, “You gave me one flower. I kept it, by the way. Hopefully, the old man took care of it.”

Byleth managed to look embarrassed - so uncharacteristic of him that it made Yuri chuckle. “You don’t like the gifts…?”

Yuri smiled and leaned closer towards Byleth’s face.

“On the contrary, I find your attempt at courting very cute. Like you,” he said before covering Byleth’s mouth with his own.

  
  


_Years later._

  
  


“What in the world is happening?” Seteth demanded, “Why are there beast heads scattered in various places of the monastery?”

“Hey, Seteth,” Hapi greeted, her feet propped on her desk. Her hair was much longer now, reaching the floor even when braided. It became something like a weapon for her, purposely smacking students awake with it when they drifted off in class. “Oh, it must be that day again.”

“What day?”

“Their marriage anniversary. Chatter - sorry, I mean, Archbishop Byleth,” she hastily corrected at Seteth’s glare, “ - and Yuri-bird’s.”

“What does this have anything to do with the beast heads? The students thought we’re under attack and I had to make sure we’re not.”

“Mmm...it _is_ the first time they did it here. Usually they’ll do it elsewhere. Must be one of Yuri-bird’s mischief again.”

Seteth sighed heavily. “Hapi, you’re not making anything clearer.”

“Alright, alright. I was about to get to it, geez.” Hapi stretched her arms. “It’s a tradition for them to do this on their marriage anniversary. Offer the other prey and whoever gives the biggest or strongest prey wins.” She shrugs. “I think it’s cute. It’s how Yuri was courted, after all.” Hapi noticed the look on Seteth’s face. “Hm? What’s up? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“A nap,” Seteth decided, suddenly very much tired, “I need a long nap.”

Meanwhile, somewhere not too far from the monastery grounds, Yuri cried in victory as he killed a giant wolf bigger than the one Byleth presented him with, while his husband looked on fondly and very much in love.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Kudos/comments/bookmarks are appreciated and you can find me on Twitter at @tennssi0907 !


End file.
